Improvement in percussion projectiles



2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

' J. LIPPINGUTT.

` Shell-Fuse.

Patented Mm'. 18, 1856.

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2 lSheets-sheet 2.'

J. LIPPINGOTT.v

Shell-Fuse; y

Patented Mar.A 18, 1866.

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IINrrE-o Srafrns JOHN LrrrrNoOfrfr,orrrrfrsiune, PENNSYLVANIA.

.PATENT @armut IMPROVEMENT 1N PERCUSSION PROJl=.efr||.l:s .'v j

Specification forming part o'f LettersvPatent No. llflii'dated Mhrch '18, IS50- TQ all whom, it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, JOHN LIPPINOOTT, of

Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bomb-Shells; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming part of this specincation, in which- Figure l is an exterior view of one of my improved bomb-shells. Fig. 2` is a section through the center thereof.

, -In the several figures like letters of reference refer to similar parts.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use myimproved bomb-shell, I will pro- I(Creed to describe its construction and operaion.

In the drawings, (see Fig. 2,) c is my bombshell, which in its .general outline is of conical shape, which will enable it to pass more readily through the air and give it greater range. b is a sabot of lead, the shape of which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the advantages of which I will explain hereinafter. c is the powder-chamber of the shell, which may be of spherical or other convenient shape. This powder-chamber is placed as near as safely may be to the base or sabot end of the bomb, for the purpose of making the point or apex of the bomb the heavier end, so that where the bomb is fired to a great distance itk may fall with its apex or point downward, 'or' toward the Object it is intended to strike. From the point of a bomb a circular hole enters the powder-chamber c, which hole tapers gradually from the point toward the powderchamber c. The percussion-cylinder d, which is also tapering, fits closely into the circular hole leading into the powder-chamber c. It projects into the powder-chamber far enough to secure its coming in contact with the powder in the chamber, and the entrance of the powder for priming through the touch-hole e. The top of this percussion-cylinder d sinks into the hole about an inch below the point of the bomb-shell, and a screw cap or nut, f, is screwed over it into the hole until the lower surface ofthe nut f comes in contact with the upper surface of the cylinder d, forcing it closely home into the hole. The' percussioncylinder is perforate throughout its length. From its base upward the touch-h0le e opens into a cylindrical bore, `g, ofv considerably larger diameter than the touch-hole and of the same diameter for about one-third of the point to the top of the cylinder d the bore is of still increased diameter, as at 7c, but perfectly cylindrical. The hammer or piston h is of vthe same diameter as the bore g, excepting at its upper extremity, which is furnished as the larger cylindrical cavity k. The piston h is made as light as is consistent with the piston when the bomb-shell is red from a cannon or mortar, and it is so long that when the head or iangez' is even with the top of the percussion-cylinder d its lower exbore g. Y A strong spiral spring, s, surrounds the piston It in the cylindrical cavity 7c, pressing at one end against the base of the cavity 7c, and at the other against the under surface of the flange This spiral spring s sustains ther into the cylindrical bore g, and pressing its nhead or lange i rmly'against the under surface of the screw-nut j'. The cap or nut f has a cylindrical bore, l, extending from the top tothe head of the piston h. This bore Z is contracted at its lower end by a fla-nge, n. A nose-piece, m, fitting into the bore Z in the nut j', is furnishedV with a screw, 0, which screws into the headof the piston 71,. The lower .half of the nose-piece m is smaller than the upper half, so as to pass through the flange u at'A the base of the screw cap or nut f, ,while bore Z in the screw-cap f. The upper part of the nose-piece m projects outside of the screwnut f at the point of the bomb-shell, the projecting part being longer than the ,dist-ance from the bottom ofthe piston 7L to the bottom of the bore g in the percussion-cylinder. The screw-nut j' also projects slightly beyond the point of the bomb-shell, and the projecting part is squared, so that it may be inserted or, if necessary, removed with a wrench. A percussion-wafer, p, composed of explosive powder between two thin plates of copper, or other explosive preparation, is placed at the bottom of the bore g, in the percussioncylinder d, over the touch-hole e.

In order to insure the successful operation length of the percussion-cylinder from this,

with a flange or head, i, of the same diameter strength and safety, to prevent any recoil of 'A tremity extends about half-way down into the thev piston h, preventing it from sinking far-' its upper half is of the saine-.diameter as the of my iniprovedbonlb-shell, it is at least desirable to. give the shell, when fired from a cannon, a rapid spiral motion on its axis, in order to secure its hitting the mark and to insure its striking its object on its point. This I accomplish by attaching to the base of the bomb-shell a sabot, of lead or other suitable material, of a peculiar shape. I am aware that the use of a hollow sabot to expand by the explosive force of the gunpowder is not new, that being the principle of the well-known Mini riiie-ball; but I consider the peculiar shape of sabot I am about to describe and the mode of attaching it are admirably adapted to secure the desired end. Toward the base of my bomb-shell I giveit a rapid curve in, as shown at a m, Fig. 2, and in the base I cast an annular cuneiform groove, w, the central piece, y, pro-y jecting beyond the surface outside the groove, so that the points ofthe proj ecting central piece extend nearly over the outer edge of the annular groove. Over this annular groovewand projecting central piece, y, I cast my sabot b, of lead, the sides of which extendover the contracted edge of the base of the bomb-shelll at a: w, Fig. 2, so as to continue the diameter of the bomb-shell the same from a point midway from either end to the base of the sabot. In the center ofthe sabot Icast a shallow basin, u, and around this basin, near the edge of the sabot, an annular channel, c, the inclinationr of 'which is outward, and which sinks somewhat deeper than the basin u.

Having thus described the construction of the several parts of my bomb-shell, I will proceed to explain its mode of operation.

The bomb-shell is placed into a rifle-bored cannon, into which it fits easily, with its point toward the mouth and the sabot toward the breech. Vhen the cannon is fired, the powder in the annular chamber c, by its `explosive force, not only forces out the edges of the sabot into the grooves of the rifled cannon, but presses the lead down over the curved sides of the base of the bomb-shell at a: x, thus completely iilling up the space around the bomb, and the grooves preventing windage and efectually securing the spinning motion of the shell on its long axis. The spring 3 around the piston h in the percussion-chamber, is strong enough to prevent any recoil of the piston h, which m'ight cause the premature explosion of the shell. 'If the shell is iired directly at an object within its range, the spinning motion, which cannot be secured if it were fired from a mortar instead of a cannon, will prevent the shell' from turning over on its transverse axis, and will secure it hitting whatever it may strike on its point. The con cussion will immediately drive the nose-piece m down, and with it the piston h, which will strike the percussion-wafer or explosive powder g, and, communicating with the powder in the touch-hole e, at once explode the shell.

A bomb-shell with my improved percussion apparatus may be constructed without the Sabot when it is to be fired from a mortar, and

,not directly at the obj ect to be struck, in which case the percussion apparatus is similarly constructed and arranged and inserted into the heavy end of the shell, while the other end is rounded, as shown in Fig. 3.

The spiral spring s is made strong enough to prevent any accident from careless handling of the shell, or recoil of the piston hat the time of firing; and in order to secure safety of transportation and handling, the nose-piece m is easily removable, it being designed to have it removed for transportation and .its place iilled by a cork or plug, to prevent the admission of water or dirt. easily be screwed into place when the shell is to be used.

The several pieces of my percussion apparatus t so tightly in their places as to prevent any liability of the admission of water into the powder-chamber c.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'lhe combination of the cylindrical chamber, piston, spiral spring, cap,and nose-piece, constructed and arranged as described, forming an improved percussion apparatus, to be inserted into the powder-chamber of bomb-shells, either in combination with or without a shallow sabot of lead of the shape described, the whole being constructed and arranged substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of January, A. D. 1856.

JOHN LIPPINGOTT.

Witnesses:

WM. N. HOWARD, J osrAH ELLs.

The nose-piece may 

